ATLANTA – The humid Georgia air, thick enough to chew on, hung heavy in Truist Park, but it was the crack of the bat that truly sucked the oxygen out of the building. With his father, Todd, serving up meatballs from the mound and his 15-year-old brother, Todd Jr., catching behind him, Cal Raleigh stood at the plate, a man on an island of pressure. The Seattle Mariners’ catcher, a man they affectionately call “Big Dumper,” was chasing history. In the final round against the Tampa Bay Rays’ young phenom Junior Caminero, Raleigh needed one more blast to seal a destiny that, just a few years ago, felt improbable for a backstop in a slugger’s contest.
The pitch came, a gentle toss under the bright lights, and Raleigh uncoiled. The sound was unmistakable—a pure, thunderous connection that sent the ball soaring deep into the right-field seats. It was his 18th of the final round, enough to vanquish the 22-year-old Caminero and etch his name in the annals of the sport. For the first time ever, a catcher had won the Home Run Derby. The crowd, a mix of Braves faithful and baseball purists, erupted. History, in all its sweaty, powerful glory, had been made in Atlanta.
This was no fluke. Raleigh, who entered the All-Star break leading the majors with a staggering 38 home runs, proved that the catcher position, long defined by its grueling defensive demands, could also produce the game’s preeminent power source. The path to his triumph on Monday, July 14, 2025, was as dramatic as the finish. He nearly didn’t escape the first round, tying with the Oakland Athletics’ Brent Rooker at 17 homers. It came down to a tiebreaker of the longest drive, a measurement of inches in a contest of feet. Raleigh’s 470.62-foot moonshot edged Rooker’s 470.54-foot blast by the slimmest of margins—the metaphorical width of a catcher’s mitt. It was a fittingly gritty way for a catcher to advance.
The midsummer showcase was missing some of its most familiar faces. Two-time champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, a perennial fixture of this event, opted to rest, telling reporters he wanted to “fully enjoy the three off days” for the first time in his All-Star career. Likewise, 2023 champion Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays declined, stating it was the “Acuña show,” a nod to the hometown hero. But their absence opened the door for a new class of sluggers to command the spotlight, and they did not disappoint. The eight-man field, which also included local favorite Matt Olson of the Braves, Byron Buxton of the Twins, James Wood of the Nationals, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees, put on a breathtaking display of raw power.
No one embodied that raw power more than Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz. The towering shortstop, a walking spectacle of physical tools, didn’t make the final, but he left an indelible mark on the Atlanta night. In the first round, Cruz launched a titanic 513-foot shot that flirted with the stratosphere, tying a record for the longest Derby home run at a non-Coors Field venue. Each of his 21 first-round homers seemed to defy physics, a testament to the sheer force he generates. It was sheer chaos at the plate, a display so awesome it almost didn’t need the context of a competition to be memorable.
But the night belonged to Raleigh. His performance was a masterclass in strategy and endurance. In a move rarely seen, he switched from batting left-handed to right-handed mid-round, a nod to his switch-hitting prowess and a tactic to stay fresh. It worked. He dispatched Cruz in the semifinals, 19-13, before meeting Caminero, the flamethrowing young third baseman who had coolly dispatched Buxton in his own semifinal matchup.
The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby will be remembered not just for the winner, but for the narrative tapestry it wove. It was a story of family, with the Raleighs creating a memory that will last a lifetime. It was a story of near-misses and incredible feats, from Cruz’s jaw-dropping power to the tiebreaker decided by a sliver of distance. It was a coronation for a player who has redefined the offensive expectations for his position. Before the contest, Raleigh spoke of what it would mean to compete in Atlanta, a city where he played a lot of baseball as a kid. He returned as the best power hitter in the game.
As Raleigh hoisted the trophy, confetti raining down, the moment felt bigger than just another slugfest. It was a victory for the grinders, the backstops who spend their summers in a crouch, absorbing foul tips and orchestrating games from behind the dish. The most grueling position in the sport had produced its most powerful champion. The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby provided a new benchmark, a new hero, and a reminder that in baseball, history can be found in the most unexpected of places—even in the hands of the man who calls the game.
The legacy of this night in Atlanta will resonate. Young catchers everywhere now have a new icon of power. The Mariners, a franchise that has seen Ken Griffey Jr. dominate this very stage, have a new derby king. And baseball has a fresh, compelling story of a player who, for one sweltering night, stood taller than all the rest. The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby was more than just a home run contest; it was Cal Raleigh’s masterpiece.
